When Madam Shen initially bribed Qiu Ze's disreputable friends, Zhang Ziwei had objected, as he had wanted to marry Qiu Zisu.
However, his companions persuaded him. Even if Qiu Ze and his wife divorced, what could Wang Chunyan, a woman with two children, do? Her life would certainly be more difficult. If Qiu Ze made another effort, perhaps he could win her over, especially since Wang Chunyan was no longer refusing him.
After much hesitation, Zhang Ziwei agreed. Now, he regretted it because he couldn't find them. He inquired at Wang Chunyan's family home, but the villagers all said they hadn't returned. They weren't seen in town either. He went to the county to inquire and learned that they had offended someone there and left, but no one knew where they went.
At this moment, Zhang Ziwei was filled with profound regret. With his past record, a family who cherished their daughter would not agree to marry her to him. He had no house, no land, no money, and it seemed he would likely remain a bachelor for a long time.
He also cautiously probed Qiu Ze's feelings. Qiu Ze was even more surprised than he was when he heard that his wife and children were missing, clearly having never considered this possibility. In his subconscious, Wang Chunyan would only live a harder life without him. He had never imagined they would disappear from his life.
Although Qiu Ze didn't love his children dearly, they were, after all, his bloodline. He couldn't help but feel uneasy. Upon returning home, he found himself dissatisfied with everything. He had thought that marrying Madam Shen would bring him a more comfortable life, but he discovered that Madam Shen was even harder to appease than Wang Chunyan!
Qiu Ze was not a particularly patient man. In the beginning, he spoke to Madam Shen with sincerity because she was someone he had finally managed to marry. She was young, beautiful, and good at managing household affairs. Now, he found her to be different from what he had imagined. Her eyes were solely fixed on money every day, making it hard not to suspect that she had married him solely for his wealth.
Furthermore, this woman was becoming increasingly cunning. If she wasn't given money, she wouldn't clean or cook. Later, when Qiu Ze couldn't stand it any longer, he resorted to violence. Unlike Wang Chunyan, who feared shame and kept everything within the family, Madam Shen was afraid that others wouldn't know how he treated her. As soon as he struck her, she would run outside shouting, "Don't hit me, don't hit me..." causing all the neighbors to know.
Qiu Ze felt helpless and vaguely regretted his actions.
Madam Shen also regretted her decision. She realized that Qiu Ze truly treated outsiders better than his own family. Before she married him, she received a good amount of money daily. After becoming his wife, the money he gave her became less and less, not even enough to cover household expenses.
Of course, Madam Shen, being a shrewd woman, didn't fall out with him completely, as she had her own considerations. Her son, Xiao Lei, was approaching ten years old. In this small town, few people sent their children to private tutoring. Even if they did, they would only attend for two or three years to learn to read and write, working as accountants or engaging in small businesses. Xiao Lei, due to the family's heavy debt in previous years, had lacked the opportunity. Now that he was older, she wanted him to study medicine under Qiu Ze.
She realized that those who studied medicine not only needed to be literate but also understand various medicinal herbs and treat illnesses. This would save the expense of private tutoring and equip him with a skill, ensuring he wouldn't be without a livelihood if he left the Qiu family in the future.
Although Madam Shen came from the village, she didn't want her son to return to farming. In her eyes, relying on heaven for sustenance was an extremely arduous task. She couldn't bear to let her son endure such hardship.
It's not that Qiu Ze and Madam Shen were inherently wicked. After all, the people in that town were relatively simple. Even after Wang Chunyan's death, Qiu Caihu was not mistreated; life simply became more difficult without his mother's care, as they were not well-off to begin with. Later, if it weren't for Xiao Lei getting into trouble and needing someone to take the blame, he probably would have lived a smooth life until old age.
This time, without Qiu Caihu to take the blame, she wanted to see how their family would fare. Since the original owner's wish was for the two children to live peacefully and prosperously, she would bring them to the capital to develop and give them a brilliant future.
As they neared the capital, Jiang Feng asked Wu Caiwei to help him with a disguise, altering his appearance. He did not want the Marquis's mansion to know he had returned.
The two disguised themselves as husband and wife, bringing the two children into the city. Logically, as the heir of the Marquis's mansion, his disappearance would warrant strict scrutiny upon entering the city, checking if the heir was present. However, they entered the city smoothly, indicating they did not take his status as heir seriously.
Jiang Feng was not disappointed by this. After all, he was personally enfeoffed by the Emperor. As long as he stayed alive and did not commit any major mistakes, Jiang Chen's desire to ascend to the position of Marquis would still be far-fetched.
Ning Hou Madam, Yun Ya, was at her wit's end. When her son's attendant informed her that the heir had been abducted, she could hardly believe it. They had taken great precautions, yet they never expected him to disappear right after leaving the Marquis's mansion.
She quickly dispatched people to search. As a woman confined to the inner quarters, her capabilities were limited. Although she held no hope for the Yun family, as it involved her son, she had no choice but to request her father's help. She personally informed the Marquis. Seeing his indifferent expression, her heart sank. She suspected that Yun Duo was somehow involved, and even if the Marquis had not actively instigated it, he had certainly turned a blind eye.
Many days had passed without any news. Yun Ya struggled to hold herself together. She had already decided: if her son were alive, all well and good. But if something were to happen to him, she would use her last ounce of strength to destroy the Marquis's mansion along with her. As for the consequences for the Yun family, that was no longer her concern. She had endured for so many years, all for her son. If her lifeline were gone, then no one would live.
At this time, Wu Caiwei, holding several prescriptions, went to the largest medical hall in the capital and exchanged them for several thousand taels of silver. With this money, although it wasn't enough to settle down in the expensive capital, it was sufficient to rent a small courtyard, rent a storefront, and operate a medical clinic.
Wu Caiwei's clinic was different from others. Her clinic only accepted female patients.
Initially, people regarded this new clinic with caution, as it was the first time they had seen a female doctor and a clinic that only treated female patients.
Even in the capital, where officials and wealthy individuals abounded, there were many impoverished families. Because Wu Caiwei's fees were relatively low, many women from poor families began to seek treatment with a "let's try and see" attitude. The first women who came were treated for infertility or various hidden ailments. Miraculously, this female doctor's medical skills were exceptionally high. Almost everyone who sought treatment there was cured. Word of mouth spread, and business gradually improved.
Wu Caiwei, seeing that all these women were coming to her for infertility treatment, felt a little worried. In her first life, she had learned a great deal from her divine doctor master, surpassing even him. In her second life, although she hadn't specifically studied medicine, she diligently researched any rare and difficult diseases she encountered in different places and learned from doctors whenever possible. Her medical skills were truly not low. While she wouldn't claim to surpass all the doctors in the capital in every aspect, she was undoubtedly among the rarest in this era. Yet, the world was unaware of this, and they only came to her for such simple ailments.
Jiang Feng had also been busy these past few months, making subtle moves from the shadows. Neither he nor Wu Caiwei were the type to repay kindness with kindness; it was not his style to let grievances go unaddressed.